Somewhere

Review from Absolute Dissonance
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« We exist in this time and in this space. But where are we when we dream, before we are born, or after we die? »
We are Somewhere.
You’re not likely to have heard anything exactly like this before. Not to say that Zoÿ Archa’s Somewhere is any sort of revelation or that the music defies explanation but this Spanish musician does have a unique take on the ambient genre.
Equally at home as film music, background for an art installation, or a sleep soundtrack, Somewhere is described by Zoÿ Archa as « spatio-temporal distortion experiences translated into sound elements ». I don’t know what that means but I would say it is an apt description nonetheless. What we are given on this digital release are 5 tracks of (most likely) digitally created soundscapes. The thing that makes Somewhere interesting is the focus on dynamics. There is a heavy emphasis on panning techniques to create a hypnotic, disorienting feel to the music and there are many small musical passages mixed so low that you may miss them. This is a release that rewards repeat listenings.
There is something inexplicably fascinating to me about Somewhere. Much like Werner Herzog’s Into the Abyss or this audio dramatization tape of Ray Bradbury short stories that I have, I think that Zoÿ Archa’s Somewhere (or perhaps just his work in general) may be the next thing in a long line of stuff that I have developed a minor obsession with. Looking at the Textural Records website, it seems that their entire catalog shares the same aesthetic and musical sensibilities so I will have to check out more of their music.
That quote is from The Outer Limits, by the way. »